


A Mutual Enemy

by GiaUrsula



Series: BoB Organized Crime series [1]
Category: Band of Brothers, The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Changed Character Backgrounds, Detective Dick Winters, Detective Lewis Nixon, Dick is 2nd Generation Irish, Gangster Snafu, Gangster Speirs, Implied/Reference Violence, Lew and Dick never served together, Multi, Period Typical Attitudes, Pining Lewis, Post-World War II, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 02:40:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18295199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiaUrsula/pseuds/GiaUrsula
Summary: ''Nixon lit up another cigarette in the car. Not like there was much else to keep you occupied on a stake out, especially when there wasn’t much point to them.He knew Dick didn’t like him smoking in such a small space between them but Lewis had to do something with his hands. Being stuck in the same place always had him a little jittery. Although if he was honest, it only really happened when he was in close proximity to Dick but he took a particularly strong inhale and hoped the burning in his lungs would distract him from that thought.''Lewis and Dick are detectives in New York trying to handle organised crime and the looming possibility of an all out Gang war. Meanwhile Lew is battling his own issues, Snafu is playing both sides and Speirs is planning his take over.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm very obsessed with Mafia/Gangster history and I also love BoB so I decided to combine the two! 
> 
> Started out as Nixon and Dick being detectives and Nixon secretly being in love the whole time and then the idea of gangster Speirs entered my head and it was too good to miss.
> 
> I'm hoping to add more to this series. This story is pre-slash so I hope to add the actual slash between Nixon/Winters soon after. I also want to add Sledge/Snafu's story in there too.
> 
> Had this in my folders for a while, figured it would make a good one-shot (kind of?) series instead of one big story.
> 
> Enjoy basically :)

Nixon lit up another cigarette in the car. Not like there was much else to keep you occupied on a stake out, especially when there wasn’t much point to them.

He knew Dick didn’t like him smoking in such a small space between them but Lewis  had to do something with his hands. Being stuck in the same place always had him a little jittery.  Although if he was honest, it only really happened when he was in close proximity to Dick but he took a particularly strong inhale and hoped the burning in his lungs would distract him from th at  thought.

‘’This is such bullshit.’’

Dick raised an eyebrow but didn’t look like he disagreed.

‘’Sobel insisted we increase surveillance. Sink is breathing down his neck to do something about it.’’

Nix laughed, ‘’Yeah well maybe he should try getting a sore back from staying a cramped car for so long and then come back and tell us how we should do our jobs.’’

Dick gave an amused smile at that and Nixon drank in the sight of the way his blue eyes lit up. His fingers itched to reach out, for what he didn’t really know, but instead he reached for his flask and took a drink. He caught the side look Dick gave him and it soured the slight buzz he’d gotten.

‘’Did you inform Norma that you’d be late home?’’

Nixon shrugged, ‘’I think she’s smart enough to figure out that if I’m not home by...’’ he checked his watch and sighed, ‘’...Jesus! Three AM, then I won’t be back till the morning.’’

He didn’t tell Dick that stake outs and late nights doing paperwork weren’t the only nights he failed to come home. Of course if he’d have told Dick that, the good  catholic man would be revolted. So he kept his mouth shut and tried not to call out the wrong name when he followed the nod of a head into a bathroom stall. Or try  not  to look into Norma’s eyes and detest them for being the wrong colour.

‘’Your informant said a meeting was supposed to happen tonight?’’

‘’Yeah... lying fuck.’’ Lew cursed.

‘’Mr Shelton doesn’t appear to be a reliable source.’'

Lew scoffed, ’’Shelton plays his agenda and he’s bat shit insane but he’s occasionally very useful when he wants to be. Unfortunately, a wild card is the only hand we have in this game.’’

‘’I just wish we could do something.’' Dick sighed in frustration.

Lewis gave him a soft smile like the situation wasn’t killing him too. He grew up in upper east side of Manhattan and could admit that his ventures into the New York capital as a young boy had shocked him. You didn’t get homeless people sleeping in bus shelters in the Manhattan he knew.

He became a cop much to his father’s dismay of ignoring his destiny to work in the stock broker. Then he met him.

Dick Winters. A man who held himself with so much more grace than Lewis would have ever attributed to a second-generation Irishman born and raised in the Bronx. Not only was he unbelievably poised, he had a brilliant mind and such a calm temperament. Growing up Lew had been warned of the feisty Irish who loved drinking as much as they did having a brawl. If it weren’t for Dick’s orange locks he’d hardly believe the man could have green blood running through his veins.

As if he wasn’t perfect enough, he was also a war hero. A major who had won the Purple heart. A man with such achievements could be forgiven for boasting but Lewis only heard the story from other cops in their department, the ones who would talk to him anyway. He was rather surprised he’d never mentioned it. Then again he kept his war adventures in a subconscious trunk in his mind and locked it, any lingering guilt or awful thoughts crammed in there.

‘’Can we just leave? Obviously nothing is going to happen.’’ Lew groaned.

Dick smiled with a touch of mischief, ‘’We really shouldn’t.’’

And damn if the bright eyes, dark tone and implicating words didn’t send a shiver down his spine.

‘'Always such a good boy.’' Nixon teased back. He had always lived a life swaying on a tightrope and Winters left him dizzy unlike any other.

Thankfully Dick didn’t seem to pick up on it as anything other than Lew’s extravagant personality and laughed loudly at it.

‘’Protocol does dictate-’’

‘’You mean Sobel.’’

‘’-dictates that we wait until six am and write out our findings when we report for duty at nine.’’ 

‘’Or we could just go to sleep, wake up at seven and waste paper and ink to type up a no-change status?’’

‘’You have a knack for leading me  estray Nixon.’' he smiled humorously ‘’Alright. We’ll call it a night.’'

‘’Thank  christ .’'

* * *

 

The next day, an exhausted but still pissed, Lewis wasted no time knocking on Shelton’s door like a raid was coming.

He waited impatiently, feeling more agitated by the lack of response, and knocked once again.

Eventually he heard some movement and the door swung open to  Meriell Shelton, a small time thug he’d picked up on a drug charge he was convinced was more big time than he liked to let on. He barged past and didn’t wait to be invited in.

‘’Listen Nicky you ain’t s’posed to be showing up here during the day!’’ 

Nixon stood by the fireplace and responded calmly, ‘'Well you aren’t supposed to give me phoney tip offs and waste my night but here we are.’'

Shelton shut the door behind him and came closer, talking heatedly, ‘’Well next time you  wanna take on your little pissing match, maybe think twice that it would be better for both of us if we  ain’t spotted here together.’’

Lewis rolled his eyes as Shelton took his place on the sofa nearby.

His apartment wasn’t anything to tip Lew off that Shelton was a  well off man but he had caught the man dealing  heroin  which was hardly small fry business. Either Shelton abused his own supply or he was hiding his own assets.

‘’Is there anything new you can tell me?’’ Nixon asked, quick to clarify, ‘’Real leads this time, not some yellow brick road bullshit.’’

“Didn't know you were such an Oz fan. You friends with Dorothy?” he leered at him.

“Get on with it.” Nixon ordered irritably.

Shelton rolled his eyes but nodded, ‘’Word on the street is the apocalypse is on it’s way.’’

Lew looked at him confused and Shelton continued.

‘’I know of at least five hits that have been put on Dyke.’’

‘’People want to kill Dyke, that’s nothing new.’'

‘’ Ain’t just him. They’re coming for everyone. Both sides are.’’

Nixon tipped his head back. ‘’Shit.’’

If it was true, blood on the pavement would become as constant as rain. An all out war on the streets of New York with innocent people in the firing line.

‘’This  ain’t about territory anymore.  Speirs been  tryna muscle in on Dyke’s hustle for a while now. Looks like he might actually manage to take over.’’

‘’And where will that leave you?’’ He asked curiously.

Shelton smirked and gave a low chuckle, ‘’Didn’t know you cared.’'

Before he could assure him that  _ no, not really _ a figure leaned cross armed at the doorway behind him. Before he could think he turned to see a pale nude figure of a young redheaded man, who seemed surprised by his presence but didn’t go to cover himself. Lew looked away immediately.

‘’What’s going on?’’ the man asked, looking between the two.

Meriell saw the embarrassment on Nixon’s face and took the opportunity to have some fun with it.

‘’Sit here.’’ he patted his lap and the man made his way forward, ‘’Me and Nixon were just talking about yellow brick roads.’’

‘’Oh really...’’ the man said doubtfully.

He looked to Nixon as he settled down into his lap. Nixon tried not to stare at the man’s body but it was hard not to when it was right in front of him. 

It’s similarity to the body of a man he often thought of late at night, a pale canvas dotted with light brown freckles and light white hairs only visible in morning sunlight, made staring tortuously tempting.

His eyes dragged up and down Nixon, clearly trying to asses if he was safe to be this open around. If he was one of them.

‘’I’m with the NYPD.’’ Nixon clarified hastily.

The redhead’s eyes widened and he scrambled to get out of Shelton’s lap but the man held him closer and rubbed a hand up his thigh.

‘’Relax Sledgehammer. He  ain’t here looking for queers.’’

‘’ Snaf , he could still-’’

‘’But he won’t.’’ Shelton assured fixing Lew a hard glare, ‘’Because he realises that would be a stupid thing to do.’’

Nixon nodded his head, feeling embarrassed and intrusive.

‘’I should go.’’ he said stiffly.

Shelton merely laughed at his awkwardness, ‘’Stay. You may as well watch.’’ he pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat, ‘’He’s pretty  ain’t he?’’

‘’Snafu.’’ the redhead warned, the words coming out too breathless for a convincing admonishment.

‘’Handsome. Strong. Red. Sounding familiar, Cap?’’

Lew met his gaze sharply. His obvious panic gave way to a victorious grin on the other man’s face knowing he twisted the knife where it hurt the most.

‘’Bingo.’’

‘’I don’t know what you mean.’' But he knew it was pointless.

‘’C’mon Nicky. I know how to recognise one of my own.’’

‘’I am nothing like you.’’ Lew pounced out of his seat in outrage, ‘’I am not a heroin dealer ruining these neighbourhoods and poisoning its children!’’

‘’But you are a fag.’’ Snafu pushed.

Lew looked at them both and hated their smirking faces, reminding him of the deviants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Reminding him of himself. 

‘’Snafu...’’ his companion warned, more cautious of Nixon’s rising anger than Snafu, who simply  grinned.

’Keep  yer draws on Nixon, I won’t tell anybody.’’ Snafu gave a chuckle, ‘’That’s the thing about having a mutual friend...’’ he spoke delicately, ‘’... she protects us both. You understand me?’’

Nixon was ashamed and disgusted to have something in common with this lowlife. For him to be in a position of leverage under someone so reprehensible. 

‘’If I do, that means things go on as they were.’’ Nixon felt unsure if he was telling or asking in this situation.

Snafu cocked his head and smirked, ‘’I scratch your back and you scratch mine.’’

The redheaded man looked between them with intrigue, his eyes oddly invasive for the someone completely bare in another man’s lap.

‘’Something like that.’’ Nixon acquiesced, voice rough and low in it’s reluctance.

‘’Good luck out there boss man. It’ll become a bloodbath real soon.’’


	2. Chapter 2

Dick was at his dining room table, his typewriter buttons clacking loudly over the evening show he was trying to listen to on the radio. He had began lately being able to type out reports rather mindlessly after having done so many. It reminded him of how the burn of mile long runs at night in  Currahhee had initially exhausted a city boy unaccustomed to hills and how eventually he had gone from the beanpole he was known for to barely breaking a sweat when he was carrying over 50 pounds of weight on his back.

He shook his head, trying not to think about the past. He found dwelling late at night only made sleep that much harder. When he came back he struggled to sleep the most. After he’d joined the force, Dick often fell asleep from pure  exhaustation and he thought his restless nights were solved.

_ If only _ ... he lamented.

A loud knock at his door disturbed his train of thought.

Dick frowned as he looked through the peephole to see a fidgeting and impatient Nixon at his door. 

He unlocked the bolt for the door and let his partner in, not anymore reassured when he entered. Nixon didn’t smell of alcohol like he normally did when he came knocking at his door late at night so now he wondered why he was here. If they planned to spend the evening together they normally met at the bar, retreating to their apartments when it was late, it was rare either of them went to each other’s house for any other reason.

Paired with Nix’s worried expression, Dick felt a rising concern something dreadful had happened.

‘’Nix... what’s going on?’’

He stopped dead in his tracks, ‘’Oh Dick...’’ he started, something unclear and uncertain wavering in his voice, ‘’There’s a storm coming. I just went to Shelton and he told me something. Something that’s going to impact us all.’’

Dick motioned at him to sit down and he did. He joined him.

‘’Would you like something to drink?’’

Nixon gave a harsh laugh and Dick was quick to clarify, ‘’I don’t keep alcohol in the house.’'

‘’I know... goddamn Quaker...’’ he mumbled in a distracted but fond tone.

‘’It’s about Dyke and  Speirs . Shelton says both sides are pulling hits out on each other. On everyone.’’ Dick’s face paled visibly, ‘’It’s going to be a war.’’

Dick sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to take it all in.

‘’Did he at least tell you when this was supposed to go down?’’

Nixon shook his head, ‘’All he said was soon. He wasn’t anymore clear than that.’’

He leaned back forward, rubbing his hands over his face as he tried to think.

‘’What are we going to do, Nix? People are going to die. Not just gangsters but  civillians .’’ 

Dick’s stomach dropped at the prospect. He didn’t even like carrying a gun during duty and the sound of bullets always rattled him. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see countless of bodies in the street. Disturbed images of  Kaufering flashed in his mind and he felt sick.

‘’Well,’' Nix started, ‘’We could always put  Speirs or Dyke away before anything can get started?’'

Dick laughed hopelessly and he hated to see his rock look so broken, ‘’How? That’s what we’ve been trying to do for a year and we’ve gotten nothing. We tried everything!’’

‘’Not everything...’'

Dick looked at him confused, ’’What do you mean?’’

He looked reluctant to speak.

‘’Go on Nix...’’

‘’We’ve only made informants out of low-level criminals but there’s other people close them who we’ve ignored.’'

‘’Who?’’

* * *

 

Nixon had never seen Dick look so uncomfortable the entire time he’s known him. There’s a stiffness to him and his cheeks look tinged with red.

A  blonde in a black  babydoll winked at Dick as she walked past, making no secret of how attractive she found him and for a moment Nixon felt a quick burst of something dark form in his chest. He tried to push it down and get on with what they came here for.

‘’Apparently  Speirs favours two girls here. You ask for Catherine and I’ll ask for Molly.’’

‘’I can’t do this. It doesn’t feel right.’’

Nixon rolled his eyes, ‘’Half the guys at the station come here. No one cares. Besides... we’re here to talk.’’

‘’Can I help you gentlemen?’’ was a question from a husky voice that drew their attention.

It was an older woman with a corset on. She  was a robust woman so all of her cleavage spilled over chest and threatened to come out. She had an unnatural grin and her eyes appraised in a way that could be considered sexual but it came out too harsh and the feeling of being prey was rather imminent.

‘’We’re looking for two gals our buddies told us about.’’ Nixon answered and Dick found himself curious at how easily he could transform from being a charming upper Manhattan man to the kind of cheap and greasy man that would come here. ‘'One named Catherine, other Molly.’'

She laughed, ‘’Yeah Catherine gets all the guys.’'

She turned and shrieked their names loudly.

The same gorgeous blonde in the black  babydoll who had winked at Dick strolled over to them gracefully, her long tan legs fluttering against the light material as she walked. Her face saw Dick and her eyes spotted on him like a target.

Their Madame looked impatient, ‘’Where is Molly?’’

Catherine shrugged apathetically as she still stared at Dick, biting her lips as her eyes lingered on his crotch.

‘’Hey sugar.’’ she greeted, swaying slightly, ‘’We having fun tonight?’’

Dick just kept silent as she walked towards him. Nixon stepped in front and took her hand.

‘’ Yes we are.’’ he leered. He could feel Dick’s eyes staring at the back of his head and Nixon himself knew this wasn’t the plan but he felt like a petulant child too spoilt to share his favourite toy.

To her credit, if Nixon wasn’t an expert in hiding, he wouldn’t have noticed her faltering face and the flicker of disappointment she tried to conceal.

The  madame held out her hand and Nixon handed her the expensive fee. He reminded himself this was all part of the plan. She led him to a room and he shut the door behind him.

* * *

 

Dick sat awkwardly on the lobby sofa waiting for Molly to finish with her previous client. It only made him more confused as to how men could actually come to places like this. He didn’t consider himself judgemental, he knew more than anyone that sometimes you had to leave the past in the past but when said past was just ten minutes before he thought that was harder to ignore.

Before he even saw Molly, Dick saw a commotion break out at the top of the stairs as Nix was handled roughly by two burly looking men.

‘’Nixon? What’s going on?’’ he questioned, looking up at the top of the stairs to see Catherine holding onto the banister tightly and shaking.

‘’Tell your friend he isn't welcome here no more.’’

‘’You know I’m right!’’ Nixon yelled up at her, the rough guards still holding onto him.

‘’Just get out!’’ Catherine shrieked back at him and Dick pulled at his arm. Nixon withdrew it from him sharply and Dick wondered what the hell was wrong.

The burly men practically threw Nixon at him.

‘’We’ll be going now, I promise.’’ Dick soothed, his diplomatic voice somewhat soothing their scowling faces.

‘’What the hell was that?’’ Dick hissed in his ear as they left but Nixon ignored it. He didn’t want to answer why he had blown one of their chances to get at  Speirs .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shy Dick, Jealous Nixon, what more can you want?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Speirs comes out swinging.

Nixon and Dick never returned to the brothel. They accepted that Nixon’s display meant they were never going to get the girls on their side which brought them back to where they started. Dick also wondered why Nixon was treating him so coldly , he thought rather harshly that he wasn’t the one who messed up their only chances of a lead. One that Dick didn’t have much faith in perusing anyway. Speirs didn’t strike him as the type of man to indulge in pillow talk.

* * *

 

So here they were once again in a small cramped car, summer air making the space unbearable. Even worse was Nixon’s snapping tone and Dick’s apprehension in even making conversation.

Nix used to love these still moments together. Moments where the outside world didn’t matter. His wife didn’t exist, neither did laws or social responsibility. Just being the singular recipient of Dick’s attention, of his smiles and jokes and private worries Nixon was sure he only shared with him. But now the air was stilted and humid and trapping.

‘’I wish Dyke wouldn’t waste our nights like this.’’ 

‘’Got a hot date waiting?’’ Lew joked, his tone too weak to sound teasing and became a little too biting.

Dick just looked at him exhausted and kept quiet. Lew winced knowing Dick probably wouldn’t try making conversation again. But to his surprise, a minute later Dick did make another attempt.

‘’Who did this tip-off come from?’’

‘’Shelton again.’’ he shrugged, ‘’Not very reliable I know. He swore this one was going to be important though.’’

‘’Well so far it has been painfully uneventful.’’

Lew looked down at his hands and fidgeted uncomfortably. Fights with Norma were awkward enough but he could avoid her company easily because he had stopped craving it a long time ago. Perhaps even before the war. 

But with Dick the coldness between them stabbed at the heart he had once been convinced stopped feeling a long time ago beyond the dull thuds that reminded him that he had survived the horrors of war that had taken men more worthy than him. There was a distance between them that felt suffocating and wrong.

‘’Dick....’’ He wasn’t sure what he was even going to say, ‘’I-’’

A hard knock at the window interrupted them. They looked to see it was  Liebgott , a hitman under Speirs command. 

He wasn’t a rather intimidating figure on first glance, a rather lanky gawk of a young man with unkempt hair and the smooth cheeks of a boy on the cusp of manhood. But there was something so cold and dead in his stare that didn’t belong to a boy not even eighteen. It was the contrast that was rather unsettling. An angry child employed with the slick, detached and almost professional skills it takes to reach a rank so high and so ruthlessly.

Lew rolled down the window, fully expecting the barrel of a gun to his forehead. 

Instead  Liebgott stood there hands in his pockets, chewing his gum with a smack staring at him, not saying anything.

Dick, ever polite, asked, ‘’May we help you?’’

Lew almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Dick rece i ving  Liebgott like he was a neighbourhood kid who had knocked on his door for a glass of water in the summertime.

‘’Boss wants a word.’’ his  raspy voice commanded.

For a moment nobody moved. Lew looked to Dick before hearing an annoyed sigh lull in their silence.

‘’Fella's you can walk into that building over there of your own free will or I can force you but if the boss says he wants a word, he wants a word and he’s getting it.’'

Dick was the first to leave the car, not seeing much point in resisting him. Lew soon followed as much as his cowardly mind told him not to move an inch.

‘’Peachy.’’  Liebgott grinned as he marched them ahead.

* * *

 

They passed through the lounge, a place not too  dissimilar to the type of places Lew would visit in Manhattan. It was hazy with smoke, loud with yelling and Jazz music, warm and suffocating with the swell of people congregating so closely.

Lew expected  Liebgott’s eyes to linger on all the fanciful sights in the way young men and their foolish eyes wander. Instead he almost seemed bored and looked on at the hedonistic indulgences with a derisive manner. 

He led them to the back office and knocked on the door twice. He waited like a good guard dog and the doors were soon opened and they walked inside.

Sat at his desk was the ever-unperturbed Speirs. He stared on blankly at them, his eyes revealing no secrets.

‘’Thank you Liebgott. You can return to your previous duties.’’ 

Liebgott didn’t even nod or acknowledge the command. He merely shut the door  behind him as he left, leaving Dick and Lew stood rather unnerved at the feet of the lion.

Speirs  gestured at them to sit at the two seats in front of the desk. As they did, they noticed the subtle movement of the men by his side leaving the room to no doubt stand outside.

They were now alone.

Speirs remained silent as he scanned the men in front of him, taking his time to light a cigarette as he did so. He even offered them one each, a rather grim final request often granted to the men whose lives he took. They both declined with a head shake, their throats a tad too dry to bear the drag.

He was unreadable in a way much different to  Liebgott . Both of them had a deadness in their stare but beneath the underling’s was the undercurrent of  heated and passionate youth. An anger constantly held back like a feral dog on a chain.

With Speirs there was no undercurrent. There was something truly missing and inhuman about those blue eyes.

He blew out a ring of smoke,  it’s heavy smell hanging in the air as it dissipated between them.

‘’I’m aware of who you both are.’’ he began, looking between the two, ‘’I always have been. But up until now you haven’t been a problem. Only now you’ve put yourself under my radar.’’

There was no direct threat, just the implication of one hanging in the air Speirs knew would have been too stupid to say for a cheap scare.

‘’Detective Dick Winters. Born and raised in the Bronx. Made of Irish stock. Parents are still alive and you have a young sister, Judy.’’

It unsettled Nixon to see the fix of Dick’s jaw, his face clearly unappreciative of the subtle threatening to those he loved. He almost wanted to reach out and touch him, if only to provide him the barest scrap of comfort. Instead he stayed still and wise, aware that there was very little power to be had in this situation.

‘’Major Dick Winters. Distinguished Service cross, Bronze star, Purple Heart, etc... And Captain Lewis Nixon, you boast your own list of commendations. I was a Captain myself, of course I was sent to the Pacific. Funny to think at some point we could have all been playing cards together in the officer’s quarters.’’ at that Speirs gave an amused smirk.

‘'Are you going to kill us?’’ Dick asked evenly. Lew gawped at him wondering what he was playing at. Lew knew that imminent death wasn’t likely but he wasn’t going to outright ask and challenge it.

Speirs gave a quirk of his mouth that seemed almost like a smile. His respect for Dick seemingly increased at the blunt nature of his questioning.

‘’All of us here are aware of what a war actually entails. Casualties on both sides, some necessary and others not. I want to avoid as much bloodshed as possible gentlemen. And I could use your help doing that.’'

‘’You want our help?’’ Lew asked, completely disbelieving.

‘’There’s no question that Dike has to go.’’ Speirs steam-rolled, ‘’The head of the snake and so forth. But he does have followers under him who aren’t loyal to me and all might get their own ideas of grandeur in the power  vacuum before my assumption of control. Not to mention that without them surrounding him, Dike will be a lot weaker.’’

‘’I won’t kill anyone.’’ Dick tells him firmly.

‘’Like you did before?’’ he casually prods, face and voice neutral as he gauges Dick’s reaction . He puts out his cigarette and lights up another one, leaving the pause to dissuade the displeased twitch by the side of Dick’s mouth at the remark.

‘’That isn’t what I want you for anyway. I have information on Dike’s inner ring. Evidence too. You put his men away, it’s a victory for you boys down at the station and in all the celebration Dike’s unfortunate passing goes unnoticed.’’

‘’Why should we help you?’’ Nix sighed, starting to find the whole thing exhausting.

Speirs took a long moment assessing Nixon before he spoke.

‘’You’ll want to help me because Shelton has informed me of your... mutual friends.’’

Nixon’s heart stopped and mouth went dry. He tried to ignore the confused face Dick was making by his side.

‘’Shelton’s unreliable.’’

‘’ Yes I’m aware that he’s an informant. For that indiscretion he has paid dearly.’’ Speirs said so dismissively that Nixon was convinced Shelton was already in his grave, ‘’But as you know Shelton is rather talkative and I have resources of my own of you and these... friends.'’

Speirs then turned to Dick.

‘’But for the both of you I appeal to your reason. Dike is indecisive. The organisation’s been a mess since his father died and the neighbourhood has suffered for it. Where his father had order, Dike fails to maintain it. There are no boundaries anymore and crime has increased. I imagine you know so better than me.’’

What Speirs was saying was no lie. Crime had been steadily building since Dike took over in Spring of last year. Dike wasn’t enforcing the law but he refused to let the police do so either. Citizens were in an odd space of distrusting their neighbourhood enforcers but too afraid to go to the police. As awful as mafia reign was, they had better control of their own neighbourhoods than the police did. People weren’t afraid of being arrested but they were afraid of having their kneecaps shot.

There was an odd mixture of love and fear amongst gangsters and the neighbourhoods they ran. There was a balance of making sure they were cared for and protected whilst also needing your protection and being aware of what happens to them without it.

Dike was failing to  install fear or love and the disrupted balance was throwing everyone.

‘’If it isn’t me, it will be someone else. I can guarantee complete control; the way things were before. And there’s more.’’

Lew’s eyebrows shot up and Dick looked at him curiously.

‘’More?’’ Dick questioned; his voice dubious of Speirs’ glittering  _ more _ .

‘’I’ll keep drugs off the street. No one will deal H on my patch. I don’t want addicts in the neighbourhood more than you. My mother lives there and controlling them isn’t a hassle I need. ’'

Lew and Dick looked at each other. It was a real offer to consider. If Speirs meant what he said then this would be beneficial for New York. Speirs was the devil they knew making promises of actually pursuing his lower rivals legally instead of having them killed and stopping drugs on the streets.

Not to mention avoiding a gang war was crucial in keeping the streets safe because the man is right. Things can’t go on as they are and despite all they do, organised crime will always breed in a city like this.

‘’You have to understand that you’d become our new target of investigations.’’ Dick cautioned him.

Speirs nodded, ‘’A mutual enemy is not the concrete foundation of a lasting friendship. You will do what is in your nature as will I. Do we have an agreement?’’

They looked to each other once again, having one of their many silent conversations. Nixon’s eyes seemed to convey a tiredness that suggested this was their only option. Dick felt that same tiredness too. Speirs had raised many good points. Dick was optimistic about their chances against eradicating the mafia one day but ultimately, he knew that day would not be soon and that a new leader was inevitable. A role he really did not want occupied by Dike.

‘’Only after we get Dike’s men put inside, do we have an agreement.’’ Dick responded neutrally, hating the sickening sensation his stomach felt knowing he was selling his soul for this.

Speirs smiled and got up to the door, ‘’Then I expect you to act quickly once I send help.’’

The two of them let their  shakey legs lead them out, realising their nerves were more fried as they had the lull of the moment to reflect as escape was within reach.

Unexpectedly Lew experienced a sudden almost biting sensation at the back of his neck, he faltered at the sudden burning pain. Only as he put his hand on the spot to inspect and saw the ash coming out, did he realise that Speirs had put out his cigarette on Lew’s neck.

He turned at him with confused and wounded eyes only to be met with soulless eyes, frayed eyebrows and a tightly wound jaw.

‘’Word of warning Detective Nixon, don’t return to the brothels again. You aren’t welcome there.’’

Once again, Dick dragged Nixon away from danger as Speirs looked on curiously. He noticed  Liebgott nearby raising his eyebrows questioningly. 

Speirs gave a shrug in response. 

Maybe Shelton was right about those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a little idea in my head for a Gangster centric fic. I do want to add more to the series as I mentioned, like Sledge/Snafu and where they end up in the future and ofc Nixon and Winters actually getting together.
> 
> I may not have time to do that at the moment because school workload is crazy right now, but I do want to add onto this new series with the spin-off ideas from this initial fic I've done.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoyed this :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey just to clarify, the code I'm referencing between Lew and Snafu is being a ''Friend of Dorothy'' was a code word used between gay men to identify each other (it was sparked from the film the Wizard of OZ due to the camp nature of the friendly Lion.) Fun fact: The FBI thought Dorothy was an actual person and tried to track her down lol.
> 
> I'll be posting this all in one night so no waiting. I was intending this to all be one shots in my series but decided to just have it as a chaptered story and then add the other stuff in the series.


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